Glowing Red
by neonquincy1217
Summary: Because attractive teenage girls don't just spawn weird circle-stars and glow whenever they want to. Written for Poirot Cafe's Prompt Exchange #5, with allusions to the clock tower heist.


**A/N:** Hi guys! Sorry for being inactive. I have been super busy lately cos OMG I've finally got the job I've always wanted~

Anyways, I have here a oneshot for Poirot Cafe's Prompt Exchange prompt. I think it's the legit first time I'm writing Takagi? Hope you like it!

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 **Glowing Red**

 **Prompt:** Any non-MK detective or cop (choose only one person/pair) trying to make sense of Akako's magic.

 **Summary:** Because attractive teenage girls don't just spawn weird circle-stars and glow whenever they want to. Written for Poirot Cafe's Prompt Exchange #5, with allusions to the clock tower heist.

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Inspector Takagi was practically dragging his feet on his way to Division One that morning. Coworkers that pass by him would probably mistake him for the undead—what with the way his shoulders slouched and clothes in disarray—if it wasn't for his yawning every five or so seconds. Dark bags lined his eyes like he hasn't slept a blink for three days straight.

In reality, that _was_ the case.

He's been staking out at an apartment unit in District Three two nights ago. While the rest of Japan had their eyes on another Kid heist, Takagi was stuck on an assignment with Inspector Chiba about an alleged suspect on the murder of a middle-aged woman. They waited and waited in vain inside his car. Seconds tick to minutes, and before they knew it, minutes turned to long, dull hours of staring at the entrance of the ten-story building. Chiba eventually had to grab himself something to eat while Takagi remained on standby. Not long after, the last streaks of dusk disappear, and all that was left was the black sky.

Grown bored and with nothing to do, Takagi lazily leaned on the wheel of his car. It was during idle times like these that he'd think just about anything—that maybe they just wasted precious hours out here instead of doing paperwork, tonight's dinner, Conan-kun's possible secret identity, heck, even Sato-san's incredibly soft bed—and do just about anything—even puff a few smokes—just to keep himself sane.

Come to think of it, it's been forever ago since he last had a stick of cigarette… and right now, the thought seems kind of… appealing.

And so, just as Chiba got back with a paper bag full of hamburgers and settled down on the passenger's seat, Takagi jumped off the car, uttered, "Cover for me, Chiba. I'll be… you know, out securing the area," and dashed off just as his companion was nodding.

It wasn't necessarily a lie. He really _was_ going to scout the area… while he finishes just one stick of cigarette before keeping the rest for Mouri-san.

Yep. That sounds like a good enough plan. He stopped smoking when a client got furious at him. He hasn't been seen doing so in front of other people ever again. Even so, he does smoke occasionally, but out of other people's judgmental gazes. Of course, that includes Sato-san, even though she's probably aware he's an occasional smoker.

And so, Takagi went his merry way to the nearest convenience store.

However, once he turned a corner, a bright, red flash of light from the direction behind him made him stop dead on his tracks. The tanned inspector found this rather odd since the direction behind him only leads to a dead end. He heard what seemed to be little cackles of electricity and quickly spun around to find a teenage girl… bathed in _red light_?!

Not only that. Beneath her is what appears to be a glowing red circle with what looked like a star inside it.

With trained stealth, Takagi hid behind a trash container and watched on as the teenage girl started speaking a language he can't quite determine. Between her fingers she clutched the (creepy) beaded necklace around her neck, and by the looks of it, she looked like she's _praying_ to it. What happened next was… well… not as ordinary as the inspector thinks.

Because attractive teenage girls don't just spawn weird circle-stars and glow whenever they want to…

They're supposed to be in school, mastering Mathematics and Japanese History and Chemistry, not sneaking around shady dead ends speaking some made-up language!

Despite it all, Takagi noticed, she stood there unfazed, her long plum hair flowing (flying?) even without discernable wind source.

He didn't notice until it was too late, but it turns out, Takagi Wataru was letting out a long exclamation of awe, and the gorgeous… creature before him sensed his presence.

"Oh inspector!" she exclaimed, not at the least surprised. She had on an irresistible grin, and her voice was smooth and seductive, much like a siren's. "What brought you here this fine evening?"

The girl approached in a calculated motion before she stopped short just in front of him. Without warning, she took hold of Takagi's chin. Being at this proximity with a god-like beauty shook the older one.

"Oh, I-I-I was just… on m-my way to…" he stuttered.

Mid-sentence, though, all of a sudden, it hit him. The circle, the lights, the enchantments… It can only mean one thing.

"Hey, y-you're not Kaitou Kid's assistant, are you?"

The girl froze. Slowly, her lips curled to a frown. To the police inspector, the teenage girl seemed offended by the commentary.

She let out an echoing laugh and said, "No, of course not!"

"Of course… _you_ didn't see anything, did you, inspector?" the long-haired beauty queried.

Without him meaning to, Takagi answered in a high-pitched tone, "No! W-w-why would you th-think that? I-I-I was on my way to-to the…"

An accidental gaze caused the inspector to pathetically trip on his own feet. He gulped in nervousness not only because of his careless mistake, but also because the teenager continued her advances on him.

"Look, I-I-y-you're pretty. But I'm…"

 _I'm engaged_ , was what he wanted to say, but instead settled with scrambling up and running away with no recollection of whether or not the incident even happened.

Of course, when Takagi reached his patrol car and narrated the entire thing to Chiba, his fellow police thought he was nuts, that he was sucked into a fairy tale book somewhere and nonsense that can only exist in make-believe material got into the tanned policeman's head…

"Ever arrived at the answer, Takagi-kun?" was the chubby detective's greeting as he waltzed into the room. Because, really, even in Takagi's standards, glowing people sounds too farfetched! Chiba only got a shaking of the head in reply.

"See? I told you. You've been tiring yourself over the same riddle about red light, stars and circles, and floating people for two days straight. But you know what I think?" the stout one flung his arms around his comrade, "You lack sleep."

Takagi found himself staring at the plain white ceiling before the information finally registered…

"You're right," he finally said with a tired smile. "Maybe it was just inside my head. Thanks, Chiba!"

Chiba gleamed at him, raised a thumb up and went his way to his table, while Takagi walked ("glided?") to his in the same zombie-like manner. When he reached his post, his head automatically dropped to his desk, and he fell asleep even before Inspector Megure can check on him.

"What happened to Takagi-kun?" the elder asked, directing the question to Chiba. "Didn't you two catch the culprit two days ago?"

"Yes we did. But then he went on and on about this weird encounter with a girl that glows red."

Megure paused, unsure of how to react. A few seconds after, he let out a hearty laugh and roared as he walked to the direction of his desk, "Oh, Takagi-kun sometimes gets the strangest illusions. Let him have his ten minute sleep."

You know you've been lacking sleep when you start seeing things. That, even Inspector Megure knows…

But then again… was Takagi _really_ just seeing things?

…

Because… wasn't it around three or so years ago when Inspector Megure, too, saw a glowing girl among the crowd of thousands during the first time he took Kudou-kun on a helicopter ride?

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 **A/N:** So yeah. A chance encounter between Takagi and Akako.

I remember there was this one episode when Takagi smoked and the client got mad at him... But then that information completely contradicted what Takagi said in one of the movies ("I don't smoke"). But then again, seeing as the movies are noncanon, I played on the idea that, yes, Takagi was a smoker... and he still is, but he only smokes occasionally.

 **Friendly reminder:** Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health. And glowing girls are... well... creepy. xD

 **Reviews and comments are loved!~**

 **-neonquincy1217**


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